


Happy To Have You Aboard

by annabagnell



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Airplanes, Birth, M/M, Mpreg, Passing Out, Sass, stewards giving birth in galleys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-11
Updated: 2013-11-11
Packaged: 2018-01-01 05:29:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1040893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/annabagnell/pseuds/annabagnell
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"He is too pregnant to be 34,000 feet in the air," Martin sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "I'm not letting him on any more flights. It's not worth the risk. I just hate leaving him at home, with the baby so close…" </p><p>"Just give him some toy aeroplanes," Douglas suggested, and Martin looked over, confused. "He can fly them all around his own globe."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy To Have You Aboard

**Author's Note:**

> Hello my friendlies! More CP fanfic here. Even if you're not in the Cabin Pressure fandom, I'd give it a read. It's cute even if you don't know the characters very well, or at all. 
> 
> More Sherlock things and porn and stuff on the way! Go check out my tumblr, annabagnell.tumblr.com, for fic updates and to ask questions and stuff.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. I'd like to apologise for the turbulence we're experiencing, we're flying through a minor thunderstorm that I…absolutely did not anticipate when planning our flight crew for today…" Martin cleared his throat anxiously and swallowed, hoping Arthur had been sitting down when they hit that last bump. 39 weeks gone was entirely too pregnant to still be stewarding, but Arthur loved it so much…"We'll be out of this patch soon, and we're still on time for our landing in Heathrow in approximately an hour and fifteen minutes' time. Thank you for your attention."

 

A few minutes later, Arthur waddled heavily into the flight deck and shut the door behind him, mug in hand. "Hello, Skip! Got your coffee, sorry it's a bit la-- oop!” The liquid sloshed out of the mug and onto the floor, as the plane gave a slight jump. Arthur reached a hand back to stabilise himself on the wall, then smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. I'll just bring you another, and get that spill!" He said gleefully, smiling at his mate before turning back around and out.

 

Douglas turned and cocked an eyebrow, glancing at Martin before returning his attention to the air. "I wouldn't be surprised if _Arthur_ is what's throwing us off balance," he joshed.

 

"Hey, that's - don't say that," Martin said lamely. "He's just pregnant. Very, very pregnant. Really, really, very pregnant." He opened his eyes wide and nodded slowly. "But he loves his job, I couldn't make him stay home. And here, on GERTI, I can keep a close eye on him. Make sure he doesn't hurt himself." As he heard the door behind him open once more, he shot Douglas a stern look and turned to smile at Arthur. "Don't worry about the spill, Arthur, Douglas offered to clean it for you."

 

Arthur smiled brightly as he handed Martin a new cup of coffee, then pulled a rag out of his pocket. "It's all right, I've got it!" He insisted enthusiastically. He spread his legs and crouched down as far as he could, trying to make the rag reach the splatter of coffee. The steward grunted and tried to bend further, a look of intense concentration. "It's... Just give me a minute and I'll--"

 

"Arthur, please do go take it easy, if you squat any further, MJN Air is going to have one plus passenger in Heathrow than we picked up in New York." Douglas smirked when he noticed Martin's nervous expression, and stood to mop up the spill himself. "There you go, taken care of."

 

"Thank you, Douglas," Arthur said, taking his rag and pressing his hands to his back to support his swollen belly. "Bye, Skip!" Arthur turned and closed the door behind, and returned to check on the passengers.

 

"He is too pregnant to be 34,000 feet in the air," Martin sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. "I'm not letting him on any more flights. It's not worth the risk. I just _hate_ leaving him at home, with the baby so close…" 

 

"Just give him some toy aeroplanes," Douglas suggested, and Martin looked over, confused. "He can fly them all around his own globe."

 

* * *

 

 

Arthur wobbled about the cabin, bringing the occasional water bottle or bag of peanuts to the film crew they'd picked up in New York. He smiled and didn't mind when people asked to feel his belly, though he apologised when they didn't feel anything, saying that the baby boy was sleeping, which wasn't uncommon. Little Skip was very sleepy these past few weeks, not moving around so much. "Lazy little thing," Arthur said fondly, patting his stomach.

 

He knew Martin was wary, but he just couldn't help from home, could he? How was he supposed to be a steward on bed rest? Besides, he felt much more at home on GERTI and with Martin than any place else. Being on an aeroplane was the safest and most comfortable place for him, and he could still do his job.

 

The plane experienced another bout of light turbulence and Arthur steadied himself on the back of a passenger's seat. This apparently caused a pain in his belly, and he looked down at it, wincing. Maybe the jump made his back hurt? And perhaps he should sit down-- ah, the man in 4B wanted another bottled water. Arthur quickly smiled again and traveled back to the cart and brought it out to the passenger, the pain long forgotten.

 

* * *

 

 

God, there was too much turbulence. Martin kept his hand next to the rear cabin buzzer, debating whether or not to ring Carolyn and make sure that Arthur was sitting down. "God knows he'll be doing everything he can for passenger comfort, regardless of his own comfort," he muttered. 

 

In the end, he decided to let it be, sure that Arthur wouldn't be so…thick…as to push through serious pain - if he was in it. How couldn't he be? Martin felt sympathy pangs of pain in his back each time the plain jerked, imagining how much worse it had to be as a nine-month pregnant man, with all that added weight. 

 

"For once, Arthur," Martin sighed under his breath, "please do what's best for you and not the passengers."

 

* * *

 

 

Thirty minutes and a few stings of pain later, Arthur was leaned against the back row of seats, hand caressing the bottom of his belly. He took a deep breath and decided he was working too hard, and settled into one of the unused seats. His back was positively aching. Had he really been on his feet all that long?

 

Arthur's back tensed again, and he pressed a hand to it, making a face, and made a small noise of discomfort. The pain was nearly about to make him cry, but just before it ended, he saw someone's hand go up.

 

The steward heaved himself up and waddled tiredly to the woman in 19B and put a hand on the back of her seat - the other pressed into his lower back - and gave her a weak smile. "Hello," Arthur greeted breathily. "What can I... get you, ma'am?" He forced a wider smile and fixed himself to a proper standing position.

 

“Well, I was going to ask for a cola, but I’m not so sure I should ask you to…you seem a bit overworked,” she observed, taking in the steward’s slightly pained expression and wide stance. 

 

Arthur naturally returned to his chipper state and took his hand from his back. "No no, I've got it! It's not a problem, ma'am! A... a cola, you said?"

 

"Yes, please," she replied warily, and watched with a keen eye as the boy walked away. He paused and put one hand on his back and one on his stomach when he reached the cart, and she began counting under her breath. The pause lasted twenty-six seconds, and when he finally began to make his slow way back to her, she smiled triumphantly. "Thank you," she said as the boy handed her the can, but she laid her hand on his arm gently as he turned to walk away. "How far apart are your contractions?" she inquired.

 

Arthur looked back at the passenger with a confused expression. "Contractions? How do you mean? Oh, like when you pay for things, with a credit card? Uh, I dunno, Mum says I'm too irresponsible to get a credit card. So, never, I guess." He pressed a hand to his back again and hissed, the pain starting to carry over and throb lightly.

 

"Those are _trans_ actions. I'm talking about _con_ tractions, the kind you're feeling right now. You are in labour, aren't you?" She asked, looking at Arthur's pained expression and the way he was holding himself.

 

Arthur's brow furrowed as he stared at her for a few moments, confused until his face lit up in enlightenment. "Oh! You mean the baby's coming! Well, no, I'm not having transactions. The baby's not coming until next Tuesday! The doctor told me so," he said matter-of-factly, patting his belly affectionately.

 

The woman smiled sympathetically and squeezed Arthur's arm. She got the sense that he wasn't the brightest of people. "What does it feel like, when you get the pains in your back?"

 

"How do you know about those?" Arthur asked, and frowned. She waved him off and he continued. “Well. My back gets all crampy. And my tummy gets tight. And my head hurts. But it goes away after a minute!" He said with a smile. "So it's fine. I think I just need to sit down when I'm not up helping people."

 

"Oh, you poor boy. Those are contractions." When Arthur looked confused, she nodded reassuringly. "I should know, I've been through that rigamarole five times. You're going to have your baby, and not next Tuesday. In the next few hours, probably."

 

Arthur's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, no, he... but he can't, he's not supposed to come out yet!" He said worriedly, holding his belly. "But Tuesday is supposed to be his birthday, not today! Skip says I have to go to the hospital when the baby's going to be born. You see, we're in an aeroplane, miles above the ocean. And Heathrow's an hour away, so-- Oh, ow!" Arthur shut his eyes and hunched over, and he let out a startled gasp of pain, causing people to look over at him in alarm.

 

The woman's eyes went wide and she hurriedly stood from her seat and put her hand on Arthur's back. "Ssh, breathe through it. Deep, like they've taught you in class." She rubbed up and down, and when Arthur's breathing evened, she maneuvered him into her vacated seat. "Just wait here, I'll fetch the other steward."

 

Arthur looked up and shook his head. "Mum? No, don't tell mum, she'll have a fit," he insisted, and he shifted uncomfortably in the seat. "And you really should be sitting, no passengers should be...ooh...up out of their seats, unless it's an emergency or to go to the loo. It's regulation."

 

"This is an emergency, love," the woman insisted, and patted Arthur's shoulder. "Don't you worry, I'll just be a minute." The passenger made her way to the back, where the other stewardess was preparing a coffee. "Excuse me, stewardess?" 

 

"Oh!" The white-haired woman looked up in surprise. "Yes, how can I help you?" 

 

"It's not me you need to help, it's…your son? The steward? He's in labour." 

 

"Oh, that _idiot_ boy." Carolyn grimaced. "All right, then. I'll go see to him, shall I?" 

 

Carolyn followed the woman up to her seat and shook her head at  Arthur, who was holding his rounded belly. "In labour? On _my_ aeroplane?"

 

Arthur looked up, an expression of guilt on his face, and he rubbed his hands over his tight tummy. "Uh. Sorry, Mum. Little Skip doesn't want to wait until Tuesday. This nice lady said so." Arthur smiled up at the passenger before he felt another pain and started to breathe deeply, like the instructor had taught in the class he and Martin sometimes went to. "But... hee-hee-hoooo... there's not a hospital anywhere in... _Ah_... hee-hee-hooooo... the middle of the A-Atlantic ocean, so we're going to have to wait until we get to... hee-hee- _hoooo_... England to have the baby."

 

"Oh, my son, the thing you have to learn about babies is that they don't always pay attention to time constraints." Carolyn sighed and looked knowingly at the passenger who had alerted her to her son's condition. "Come on, get up, we'll give the 'nice lady' her seat back and get you back into the galley.”

 

Arthur heaved himself up from the seat and pressed his hands to his back to support his belly - which felt much heavier than usual, he thought - and gave his mother a sheepish expression. "Right-o." He turned to the woman and smiled. "Thank you, very much, you're a very nice lady," he repeated, then began heavily following Carolyn back.

 

Carolyn settled Arthur into an attendant's seat and sighed heavily as she pressed the intercom button. "Oh, Martin!" 

 

Martin's voice crackled hesitantly through the speaker. "…Yes, Carolyn?" 

 

"I just thought it prudent to inform you that your idiot husband has just gone into labour approximately 34,000 feet above the earth, and is absolutely _delighted_ to be delivering your son on an aeroplane." 

 

There was a pause, the echo of a chuckle from Douglas, and then Martin's panicked voice. "What the - no no, that's against protocol! He can't give birth on GERTI! That's...that's not...Douglas, take over, I have to go see to Arthur." 

 

Carolyn smiled as she heard Douglas's response. "More than happy to help, Martin. Have fun with your first moments as a _daddy_."

 

Just moments later, there was the sound of pounding, clumsy feet as Martin rushed to the back of the plane. He dropped to his knees beside Arthur, looking concerned and on the verge of a panic attack. "You're in labour? You're sure?"

 

Arthur gave a small smile and nodded. "I think so! Wow, it's brilliant, isn't it? Little Skip wants to meet us early! We'll have to pick up stuff for a birthday cake later-- OOH!" Arthur contracted again and he scrunched up his face, gripping the seat. "Yes, I do think he's ready," he grunted, and gave a slight grin before his face contorted again, and he started to take whooshing breaths - hee-hee-hoo's - once more.

 

"Oh, _Arthur_..." Martin dropped his head and moaned.  He reached for Arthur's hand and squeezed it. "I shouldn't have let you come on crew today. I knew something was going to happen. I knew it, I knew it…" 

 

Carolyn interrupted. "Well, it happened. Now what?" 

 

"I don't know!" Martin cried. "I can't think of anything else to do other than an emergency landing, but we're over the Atlantic…he'll just have to labour here, and hope the baby waits until we land!"

 

Arthur blew out a breath as his body let up, and he laced his fingers with Martin's. "It'll be all right, Skip, I'm sure Little Skip can wait." He smiled confidently and slipped his free hand to the underside of his belly. His face suddenly fell and his cheeks reddened, and he started shifting awkwardly. "Uh... Skip? I think... I think I just wet myself. Is that supposed to happen?"

 

Martin looked up to Carolyn for assistance, but she just waved her hands with a look that said, very plainly, 'he's yours now'. Martin sighed and gripped Arthur's hand tighter. "Yes, it's supposed to happen. It's your waters breaking, which means you're going to deliver Little Skip soon. I don't think he's going to wait, Arthur. You may have to deliver him on the aeroplane."

 

Arthur blinked and stared at Martin for a few seconds, before a grin broke out on his features. "So... Little Skip's going to be born here? On the aeroplane?" He asked excitedly, and he gripped both of his husband's hands and beamed. "That's _amazing_! Oh, think about it, Skip! Our baby, born here, on GERTI! It's... It's like the Lion King, the Circle of Life! He's going to come into the world in the same place you put him into my belly!" Before Martin could process what Arthur was saying and stop him, the labouring man had him pulled into a tight hug.

 

Carolyn's indignant squawk made Martin cringe. "Arthur," he hissed into his husband's ear, "you can't just _say_ things like that. That's not appropriate at all." Carolyn looked irate, and Martin could only blush and smile sheepishly. "But yes," he continued. "I think he'll be born here, on the aeroplane. God, I just hope nothing goes wrong…"

 

"What would go wrong?" Arthur asked, a smile still on his face. "Little Skip's going to be born in the _sky_ , Skip! That's brilliant! Oh, and it'll be just us as a family! I'd very much like that, without the doctors bit. I don't want Little Skip to get confused. Being handled by doctors and nurses and all. It'll be just us here when he's born!" The steward contracted again, this time apparently much more painful than the others, and he reached out to grip Martin's hands fervently, his eyes shutting tight and his _hee-hee-hooing_ more frantic.

 

Martin squeezed his eyes shut too, nervousness spiking in his stomach. "It's going to get much worse before you're allowed to push, Arthur. This is still the very beginning." 

 

"Ah, Martin?" Carolyn piped up from her position next to the door. "You might see if there is a doctor on board." 

 

"Of course!" Martin breathed. "Ride this one out, Arthur, I'll do a cabin check."

 

Arthur let go of Martin's hands and nodded, before pressing his hands back onto his belly, and rubbed it in attempt to ease the pain.

 

By the time Martin returned, Arthur was relaxed again, leaning back in his chair and rubbing his belly fondly. "Did you find a doctor, Skip?" He asked, his voice still chipper, but tired.

 

"It's a _film crew_ ," Martin berated himself. "A goddamn film crew, of course there wouldn't be a doctor. It's just us, Arthur, I'm sorry." He squatted next to Arthur again. "How are you feeling? Any different?"

 

Arthur shook his head and slipped his hands to the underside of his belly, which was sore and tender. "No. Just... still a bit uncomfortable. A little excited, actually. It hurts, but... it's all for a good reason, isn't it?" He smiled brightly and brought Martin's face to rest against his stomach. "We're going to be parents today, Skip, a mummy and a daddy. It's brilliant."

 

Martin smiled then, unbelievably nervous but anxious, too. "Yes, Arthur darling. We'll be parents very, very soon." He reached over and rubbed Arthur's belly gently. "It will all be okay."

 

* * *

 

 

The next thing Arthur Crieff-Shappey knew, he was lying on the floor of the small galley, on a blanket the captain had found, gripping his husband's hand and breathing the silly pattern over and over in time with Martin. The pain was non-stop now, and Arthur did his best not to cry, as much as he really wanted to. This was supposed to be happy, his son was about to be born! Was very, very close to being born, actually.

 

"I... Hoooooooo... I think... I think Little Skip's... Ready now... I... Skip? I need to... to do that pushing bit, now, I think..." Arthur looked to his mate tiredly and his eyes widened with desperation and sincerity. "He's... I feel him, Skip, he needs... He needs me to help... ahh!”

 

Martin looked over at Carolyn, who was on Arthur's other side. "You're feeling an urge to push, yes?" she asked, and Arthur nodded almost violently. "It's probably time, then." 

 

Martin swallowed and squeezed Arthur's hand. "Yes, Little Skip needs your help. Push hard, Arthur, the way they taught you in class. You can make noise if you need to, the passengers will understand."

 

Arthur vaguely remembered to ask Martin to pull his trousers and pants off, but he spent the next contraction hesitating. He didn't push. As much as his body was begging him to, he was afraid, and he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Will... will it hurt Little Skip? When I... hoo-hoo-hoo... when I push on him...?"

 

"No, Arthur, but it might hurt him if you don't." Martin rubbed Arthur's quivering thigh. "I'm here to help you if you need it, but you have to push next time." 

 

Carolyn jumped in. "Your waters have broken, so you need to get him out as quickly as possible. Your body knows what to do, Arthur, for once in your life listen to it."

 

Arthur nodded, figuring his husband and his mother were right almost always, and they were going to help get the baby out. "Okay... Okay, all right... I'll just... Go ahead... and..." Arthur waited until the next pain started to peak, like they had instructed him to do in the class, before he gripped Martin's and his mother's hands, and he pushed.

 

And wow, did it hurt more than he had anticipated.

 

Arthur held his breath, his entire body shaking as he pushed down with all his might, and he let a few grunts escape his throat. His face went red and his eyes shut tight, trying to focus solely on the baby boy trying to be born.

 

"Oh!" He gasped, when he let go of the strain and desperately inhaled for air. "Was... was that any good...?"

 

"Very good, Arthur, very good," Martin encouraged. 

 

"Harder next time, though," Carolyn added. "I can't see anything yet, but he's moving down." 

 

"You're doing very well. Do you need anything?” Martin asked shakily, squeezing Arthur's hand.

 

Arthur shook his head and took deep whooshing breaths. "No... No, thank you... Just... need to... crack on, I think,” he said. His mother telling him he needed to push harder made him worried - how could he push any harder? - but he did his best on the next push.

 

He bore down with a small groan and gripped Martin's hand, stopping partway through his push to breathe - _hoo-hoo-hoo_ \- before picking it back up, pushing twice as hard.

 

Arthur spread his legs wide and stopped pushing when the contraction ended, his head collapsing onto Martin's shoulder. "Skip... Hurts... How... H-how am I doing? Can you... see him yet?"

 

Martin ducked down briefly between Arthur's spread legs. "I can see a dark bulge - might be his head. Very small, can't see much of it yet. Doing well, keep going." Martin sighed, feeling almost relieved. This was going almost smoothly. If Arthur could just keep his energy up...

 

Arthur couldn't help but smile at Martin, absolutely ecstatic to know that he might be seeing his son for the first time. "Brilliant," he managed to breathe out, squeezing his husband's hand.

 

"Okay, okay, going to push again, so-- ngh!” Arthur became more vocal now, shamelessly grunting and moaning and panting as his body worked to bring his baby into the world. Invigorated, Arthur pushed his hardest, and his toes curled, his entire body straining, until he felt an intense burning pain between his legs. "Oh, what is _that_?" He asked exasperatedly, eyes wide as he panted.

 

"That's his _head_ ," Martin breathed, and then a sudden rush of blood from his head made him woozy. "That's his head," he repeated, quieter, almost swaying. A sharp slap from Carolyn brought him back to full attention, and he regripped Arthur's hand. 

 

"Very good, Arthur, this part burns but if you breathe through it, it won't take long," Carolyn encouraged. "It looks like he has a big head, but it will pass."

 

Arthur beamed, proud of himself and _excited_ to be bringing the rest of his baby out. "Hear that, Skip? He's got a... big head. I bet he's going to be smart, like you!" He flashed a toothy grin and looked to Carolyn gratefully, then took long deep breaths, puffing out his cheeks.

 

Not two minutes later, Arthur was sagging with relief as suddenly a considerable amount of pressure was gone. "Is... Is he out, am I--" Arthur reached between his legs to feel, finding a head hanging out of him and his breath caught in amazement. "Skip! Skip, his head's out, he's almost here! Feel!" He grabbed Martin's hand and yanked it down to feel as well.

 

Martin's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he nearly collapsed at the sight of all the blood and fluids between Arthur's legs, but he took a few deep breaths through his nose and swallowed. "Yes, he's almost here," he gulped, propping himself up with a hand against the cabinet. His other hand rested next to Arthur's, on his son's head - _on his son's head._ He was touching his son's head, my god, the little thing that had been growing in Arthur's belly for almost nine months, the little boy they'd been anticipating...

 

"The shoulders come next, Arthur, and they'll be the hardest bit," Carolyn interrupted, looking on in concern at Martin's pallor. "You're doing very, very well."

 

Arthur smiled and gathered up his strength, finding that despite all the pain, his excitement and longing to see his and Martin's little baby had him bursting with energy and ready to run a mile. Not that it would be possible, with a baby halfway out of him, and being hundreds of kilometres above the earth and all, but still.

 

Arthur pushed, pushed hard, grunting and growling with effort. He continued pushing all the way through the contraction, the pain twice as bad as before, until both shoulders popped out of him at once. Arthur smiled as he gasped for breath and looked to Martin. "I've almost got him out, Skip, not much longer, don't worry... And Little Skip will be in our arms! Oh, it'll be brilliant, Skip, our baby... I bet he's handsome too, I can't... quite see..." He attempted to look around his belly, but could barely see the top of a head.

 

"I can't look," Martin wheezed, swaying and trying to focus on Arthur’s face. "I would look, Arthur, and see, but if I do I won't be conscious to see him born." He kept his eyes locked on Arthur's and squeezed his hand, hearing Carolyn's faint chuckle through the dull roar in his ears. 

 

"Just like your father, Arthur, when you were being born. Nearly collapsed on the delivery room floor." She chuckled. "What a sodding moron. One last push, Arthur, and you'll have him." She gathered a towel and held it under the emerging baby, ready to catch.

 

Arthur nodded, taking a few breaths. He was about to be a mum, and Martin a daddy, and their baby boy would be born, ready to eat and learn and talk and eventually play yellow car. The steward sucked in a breath and bore down with a loud grunt. "That's... okay... I've... got 'im..."

 

Before Carolyn could react, Arthur reached between his legs and placed his hands under his baby, mentally reminding himself to support the heavy head, and pushed the tiny baby out into his own hands with a shout and a gush of fluids. Immediately, he lifted the tiny, wet, squirming, naked creature so he could see. Arthur's eyes lit up and he took a laughing breath, before the baby boy began to cry. "Oh, _hello_ , Little Skip!" He said wetly, then brought the baby to rest on his chest. "Oh, Skip, look! Look, I did it, I pushed out our baby! On an aeroplane! And he's so _cute_!"

 

"That’s…gooooooo-“ thump. 

 

"Congratulations, Arthur. You, too, have a moron for a mate."

 

* * *

 

 

Martin awoke, hazy and confused, vision blurry and head pounding. He wasn't on an aeroplane anymore, the pressure he always felt when in the air was absent. The speckled ceiling and fluorescent lights were vaguely reminiscent of…ah. A hospital. 

 

He heard a noise to his right, and turned towards the sound. There, just visible beyond the curtain, was another bed, and now that his hearing was cleared he could make out Arthur's soft voice. "Arthur?" he tried, but it came out weak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Arthur?"

 

Arthur leaned over just enough to push back the curtain and he smiled brightly. "Skip! You're awake!" He said, gleeful, but uncharacteristically and forcedly soft…probably due to the swaddled blue bundle in his right arm. "You passed out when Little Skip was born. Mum says it's because you're a moron, but I think it just means you're squeamish." He grinned fondly. "Are you all right?"

 

"Fine, fine. Oh, god, you had the baby," he gasped, memories suddenly rushing back. "You had the baby on GERTI…how is he? Is he okay?" Martin asked, catching sight of the swaddled bundle on Arthur's chest.

 

"Fit as a fiddle, Skip," Arthur announced proudly, beginning to rock the baby on his chest. The little one's fingers started to curl outside the blanket and he snuffled in contentment. "The doctor said he's healthy. And he likes to eat. And he's really very pink. And chubby. Well, not fat chubby, normal baby chubby. And I think he's been trying to talk to me. He keeps making noises, but I haven't figured out what they mean yet. Crying means he wants milk or needs a nappy changed. The rest is a mystery."

 

Martin slid off the bed and crept over to Arthur's bedside, eager and almost nervous to see his son for the first time. "Oh," he breathed, looking down at his baby's tiny face. "He's beautiful, Arthur," he sighed, looking at the little features nestled in what was admittedly a very chubby, pink face. "He looks just like you." Arthur's round face, the already wide mouth that would undoubtedly smile the world's most brilliant smiles, and tufts of curly brown hair. 

 

"His eyes are blue, like yours, though. The nurse said they might change, but I hope they don't. I'd like if he had your eyes, Skip.” Arthur interjected, looking down at his baby and then smiling back up at Martin. 

 

Martin smiled back. “That would be fine.” He sank down onto the mattress and looked at Arthur. Honestly, if Martin hadn't been there to see it himself, he wouldn't have guessed by looking at Arthur that he'd given birth just hours before. “And how are you? God, I'm such an idiot for passing out, Carolyn was right. I am a moron. What kind of Alpha loses consciousness when his Omega gives birth?" He shook his head. 

 

"I'm brilliant," Arthur said truthfully. “And apparently my Alpha passes out when his Omega gives birth," Arthur offered lightly. "You broke your fall on the mop bucket, though, or else you would have gotten a concussion. So that's a good thing!"

 

"Which explains the ache in my shoulder," Martin muttered. He reached over and brushed one of Arthur's curls back from his forehead, smiling gently. "I'm glad it all worked out. I was very worried." Arthur gave him a reassuring smile, and Martin looked back down at their baby. "Arthur, could I…could I hold him?"

 

Arthur grinned and nodded eagerly. "Right-o! You did help make him," he said, very carefully shifting the baby boy into Martin's arms. "Oh! And he needs a name. Mum was in while you were asleep, and I made a list, but she told me to wait for you, since we're naming a baby, and not a puppy."

 

Martin nodded absently, in awe of the little human that was currently in his arms. He wasn't nearly as big as he'd thought the baby would be, especially after all the effort it took to deliver him. The baby gurgled and Martin's heart melted, and he looked down at Arthur, who looked positively radiant. "You're going to make a great mum," he murmured, and smiled down at his mate. He turned his attention back to the baby in his arms. "We should name him after someone we love," Martin suggested. "But not Douglas. Never Douglas."

 

Arthur made a bit of a face. "Well, I can't say I love Douglas. Well, I do love Douglas, in a... my father left me, and he was the closest thing I had to a father figure sort of way, but." He trailed off and tapped a finger over his lips in thought as he looked at Martin hold their baby for the first time. "Oh! I know! I love _you_. And Little Skip loves you... Martin! I like Martin. Martin Skipper. So-- so he can be Little Martin, and you can be Big Martin!" Arthur's eyes sparkled at his own idea, and he looked at his husband, eager for approval.

 

"Arthur…Arthur, we can't…you can't do that…" Martin trailed off, the look in Arthur's eyes telling him that he'd already lost this battle. "Martin Skipper Crieff-Shappey. And I finally get to be Big Martin." Despite his doubts, Martin grinned. "I love it. Hello then, Little Martin," he cooed down to the baby in his arms. "Nice to finally meet you. Sorry it took me so long."

 

"Right on time, Skip," Arthur said assuringly, smiling gently, fondly, at his mate and his new baby. "It's like they say. A pilot is never late, he arrives exactly when he means to. Or maybe that's wizards." Arthur pursed his lips in thought, but shrugged it off and returned to his content smiling. "Same with Little Martin. He came exactly when he wanted to. I'm very happy he's here. Happy birthday, Little Martin!"

 

Martin sat down on the mattress and scooted to lie next to Arthur - his silly, loving mate. "Yes. Happy birthday, Little Martin. Glad to have you, quite literally, aboard MJN Air."


End file.
